So this brings me to a valid point of shipping worm castings in extreme heat but more importantly cold winter temperatures.

The cargo holds on planes and the trucks utilized for transporting the worm castings are not heated or air conditioned hence are reliant on the ambient temperature at the time they are being shipped. It does not take long for the water content in worm castings to freeze hence killing off the beneficial aerobic microbes as well. The castings do not even need to freeze but rather drop to low in temperature will make them useless.

I always forget or become distracted to write this article however when shipping or purchasing worm castings it is vital for maximum potential that they be shipped with heat packs. Here at Organic Worm Farm, we ship all our worm castings with a 72 hour heat pack being Priority Mail is a two to three day service.

So if you are shipping worm castings, be sure they are in a breathable bag and you include a 72 hour heat pack. If you are looking to purchase worm castings, be sure to do so from a reputable worm farm that treats your worm castings as if they were for their own personal use!

Whether it is your rose bushes, your favorite fruit trees, or other plants, it is important to use worm castings early in the fall while the plants are still green. Once they go dormant, they will not be able to utilize the nutrients effectively!

By adding worm castings now, you are enabling your plants to feed aggressively, much like a bear preparing for the long winter before hibernation, hence giving them the added boost not only to survive the long winter months but to thrive in early spring as well.

For smaller plants and shrubs it is best to pull away any mulch and sprinkle a cup to four cups of worm castings (depending on the size of the plant) before covering up with the mulch again. For larger plants such as fruit trees, it is best to pull away any mulch from the drip line (outer edges of the branches where the rain drips off the tree) and pour worm castings directly under the drip line. Cover with the existing or new mulch. Be sure to water thoroughly after applying to allow the nutrients to work down through the soil to the roots of the plants.

Another time to use worm castings is when you are planting your favorite fall flowers or vegetable gardens in order to obtain optimum colors and produce. Also when planting your bulbs later in the fall for next spring’s flowers be sure to mix worm castings in the soil before inserting the bulb as well as when covering it up. This will help to insure flowers next spring that will surely be the envy of your neighbors (Unless your neighbor is also reading this!).

Early fall is also a good time to broadcast worm castings across your grass areas, usually recommend at ten pounds per one hundred square feet of area. A word of caution to any lazy folks out there… A couple years ago I planted Rye grass seed for the winter in South Carolina and utilized worm castings when I seeded in the fall. I ended up cutting that area of yard approximately every two weeks all winter long!

By using worm castings early in the fall will give your plants a head start come next spring. Once again, usually towards the middle to end of spring, you will want to re-fertilize your prized areas to help insure they do well in the warmer summer months.

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I had seen a similar concept using metal rods as well as had the bottom left wide open, allowing for variety of varmints to enter the system. I decided to build it keeping it simple so as about anyone could put it together.

One thing to keep in mind is many web sites state that the end product is worm castings in a continuous flow through system. The reality is that the end result is a vermicompost, a mix of some unfinished decaying organic matter and worm castings. While the worm castings by themselves are considered “Black Gold”, the vermicompost will do very well in many garden plants too or simply screen the mixture.

Many ask if you will lose many worms out of the bottom, no worries here. As with anything you will lose a few stragglers however the worms are consistently migrating upwards and should reproduce much quicker than your few lost worms coming through the bottom when you harvest your vermicompost.

Materials / Tools:

1 – 55 Gallon drum (one not previously used for chemicals)

1 – 2’ X 2’ piece of 3/8” plywood if your bin has not lid

4 – strips of 3/8* plywood or less, can be from lid scrap above.

1 – 12” X 8” – 1/8” or ¼” galvanized hardware cloth

4 – Short wood screws ~ ¾” to 1”

40’ – Weed whacker line

1 – Piece of approx. 80 grit sandpaper

1 – Reciprocating saw

1 – Phillips or flat head screwdriver… depending on your screws.

1 – Cutting tool for the galvanized hardware cloth.

1 – tape measure.

1 – drill

1 – 1/8” drill bit

The first thing to do is mark out a 12” wide  by 8” high opening on the bottom, 2 inches from the bottom of the drum.

Next center and mark out another opening 10” wide by 6” high inside the one you just made.

Cut out the smaller opening first as this will make it much easier. Once you cut the outer opening, save this piece.

I ran the weed whacker line from side to side as I noticed the structural strength was weekend from front to back once the opening on the bottom was cut. Hence locate and center mark your two sides two inches above the top of your cut opening on the bottom of the drum.

Now you will want to drill holes 1 1/2” on center. This does not mean going around the exterior and measuring 1 ½” all around as this will mess you up.

The simplest way to figure this task out is to drill your two centered side holes, measure 1 ½” to either side and drill those two out. Temporarily run the weed whacker line through all three holes on both sides, back and forth and snug up a little. Now you can reach inside and lay the tape measure over the three lines you ran and mark out 1 ½” in both directions on both sides of the bin. Be sure your marks are level before proceeding to drill them out. You can use your tape measure or if you have scrap wood around, use a precut piece as a template to the height from the bottom of the drum to the height of the holes to be drilled.

To run the weed whacker line tie a large knot on one end of the line and begin threading the line back and forth, starting at either the front or back of the drum. Once ran, proceed to reach inside the drum and start by pulling and placing tension on the lines to snug up, beginning where you first began to thread the line. Once complete, tie another knot on the other end to secure the tension on the weed whacker line and cut off excess.

Now you can cut your lid for the drum if your drum did not come with one out of the 3/8” plywood. Be sure to leave it a little larger than the drum top to over hang a little to prevent rain… from getting in should you be placing outside.

Under the lid, Drill 1/8” holes around the top of the drum spaced about 1 ½” apart.

You should have enough scrap from the plywood lid to cut four strips. Cut four pieces six inches long, two at 1 ½” wide and two at 2” wide.

Use the sandpaper to sand the edges of your fron lower door panel to remove the burs left behind when cutting the door.

Trim the galvanized hardware cloth to fit by being a little smaller than the outer edge of the saved piece from your bottom opening cut. Use the wider strips on the front and the narrower strips on the back of each side to hold the galvanized hardware cloth in place, securing with the four screws. Line them up with the inside edge of the opening so as they over hand on the outer side, one by ½” the other by 1”. Always place the galvanized hardware cloth on over the face which will be facing outwards towards you when fitted into place.

Always start off the flow through system with six pieces of newspaper, add 4” to 6” pre soaked sphagnum peat moss (damp, not soaking wet) on top and begin adding food scraps.

To help maintain the pH level is to layer your green (i.e. vegetable scraps) and brown (i.e. shredded newspaper, cardboard) as well as add ground eggshells when available in moderation.

After two or three months, use a garden claw to lightly rake the underside of the weed whacker line from side to side to remove the finished vermicompost. This can then be performed weekly if the system is setup and functioning correctly.

Bruce

]]> http://wormcompostingblog.com/worm-compost-bins/how-to-build-a-flow-through-worm-bin/feed/ 61 http://wormcompostingblog.com/compost/worm-composting/ http://wormcompostingblog.com/compost/worm-composting/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:28:14 +0000 Bruce http://wormcompostingblog.com/?p=96 Deciding to start your own worm composting bin, also known as vermicomposting, is rather simple to setup and maintain if done correctly. You will need to make a choice of which red worm you want to use for composting as there are a several to choose from, each with its own characteristics. Below is some basic information to assist you in choosing the correct composting worm for your own personal needs.

Red Wiggler Worms - Great If Primary Purpose Is Composting.

Red wigglers, also known as red wriggler worms, are said by many to be the best composting worm. Realistically they are very prolific and are easy to raise in a bin since they will basically take to their new environment right from the start where as your nightcrawlers usually try to wander more until they settle in.

The red wiggler prefers temperatures of 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and is the smallest of the compost worms. They will eat your basic vegetable and fruit scraps turning it into “Black Gold” or worm castings. They will survive well in simple bedding made of shredded cardboard and newspapers.

African Nightcrawlers – Great Worm If Primary Purpose Is For Both Composting And / Or Fishing.

These are a superior worm with a dual purpose. They not only eat more than the other red worms but also make an excellent fishing worm growing to lengths of 8 to 10 inches long. They are very prolific and one of the hardiest worms to raise.

African Nightcrawlers worm castings are different looking as well as feeling than other red worms. The castings are darker yet lighter and fluffier. There is no difference in the worm castings when it comes to microorganism’s growth or PH levels.

The African Nightcrawler is more heat tolerant and prefers temperatures between 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. They will eat your basic vegetable and fruit scraps turning it into “Black Gold” or worm castings. They will survive well in simple bedding made of shredded cardboard and newspapers.

European Nightcrawlers - Great For Those Who’s Primary Purpose Is Fishing.

This is one of the favorites of fishermen. They also do a good job composting your scraps; however they are not as good as the Red Wiggler or African Nightcrawlers.

These nightcrawlers grow to about 3 to 4 inches in length and can tolerate cooler water temperatures. The European Nightcrawler is also the only red worm which can survive a while being fished in brackish water which also classifies them as a hardy worm to raise.

European Nightcrawlers prefer a temperature range of 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. They will eat your basic vegetable and fruit scraps turning it into “Black Gold” or worm castings. They will survive well in simple bedding made of shredded cardboard and newspapers.

Alabama Jumpers - Great For Fishing & Yard… Garden Composting.

The Alabama Jumper is a unique composting worm being it does not do well raised in bins however prefers clay and sandy soils due to the tougher skin they have. This enables them to borough through hard packed clay without a problem.

They do not eat vegetable scraps but rather carbon based products, i.e. hay, shredded cardboard, leaves… Alabama Jumpers live up to its name by wiggling so quickly and violently it will actually leap out of your hand. With this type of action, think about what it will do when placed in front of a fish.

Alabama Jumpers will migrate eventually throughout your yard and or garden areas, leaving worm castings towards the surface. They will not harm plants or their roots however will aerate the soil.

Alabama Jumpers can tolerate as far north as Tennessee. When the colder weather comes, they will borough below the frost levels… These are a very easy worm to raise since they have minimal needs.

There you have it, the basic information needed when selecting “composting worms” which will work best for you!

Bruce Galle also known as “The Worm Expert“ has been involved with Vermicomposting and assisting others over the years. Bruce is also the founder of Organic Worm Farm, where he personally raises and sells several worm species for composting and fishing: http://OrganicWormFarm.com/store